The new era of paint finishing facilities, what led us to the modern-day spray booth?

From painting cars and industrial pieces by hand, to high-tech spray boots painting them for us. Industrial paint finishing has evolved hugely over the last few decades, which has helped to increase productivity while reducing operational costs and higher profitability.

Modern spray booths are closed, or semi-closed rooms used for many paint finishing purposes, including spray painting. These specialised booths are perfect for high-pressure coating processes. To ensure optimal working conditions for temperature, airflow and humidity, these booths are equipped with ventilation systems consisting of mechanical fans driven by electric motors and burners that heat the air to accelerate the drying of the paint.

Any toxic solvents or paint particles are pulled out of the air and filtered through an exhaust filter treatment, to reduce air pollution and maintain a healthy working environment for employees. Spray booths are designed to allow the user to operate within the confines of the booth without having to worry about paints, vapors or environmental exposure. The modern spray booth that we have in this decade aims to allow a safe and controlled environment to conduct partial or full-coverage applications of paints and coatings, mainly for industrial purposes. 

However, what led us to this modern day, incredible piece of technology? How did we get to advanced spray booths?

Spray booths have seen changes over many years, and it isn’t easy to pinpoint when spraying even started making its way into industrial painting, however it is believed to have been sometime in the 19th century. It is supposed that electric spray booths were first used around the 1940-50′s. The electric spray booth is a method of painting where the paint is sprayed from atomization nozzles mounted horizontally.

The atomizer was intended in the early 1900s for medical purposes, however eventually it was also used to create an updraft ventilation system for spray booths.

In the 1920s, updraft ventilation was combined with a fan that would pull all the particulates out of the room through the open window. Then decades later prefabricated spray booths were invented with a large fan on one side and 3 walls, and to absorb more overspray, cotton, wool or burlap sheets were used in the inlet. However, to improve the safety of spray booths, lots of improvements have to be made. Companies started to use cement and metal materials to reduce the danger of fire. The forward side of a booth, which used to be opened, became enclosed with drive-in doors to contain overspray.

During the early 1950s, electrostatic painting was introduced, which helped in reducing overspray further. Additional improvements such as sprinklers and grounding were also made to reduce the chance of anything catching fire. In the 1970s, there was a significant improvement in intake and exhaust filters. As health issues were the primary concern, the first automated sprayer was used during this period. As we got into the 1980s, downdraft airflow was the best practice for spray booths. It helped to dry the paint quicker while keeping outside particles such as dirt, to a minimum.

As safety regulations ramped up since the 80s, there were a lot more safety changes made to spray booths throughout the years, leading us to where we are today. These changes and improvements will only keep on developing as we keep advancing in the technology sector.

We currently have some of the most advanced spray booths on the market, within Australia. If you are looking to purchase an industrial spray booth, then look no further than DRYSYS. DRYSYS have more than 15 years of experience in the industry, are more than willing to help you choose the right booth for your business.

The beauty of purchasing spray booths from DRYSYS, is that they can create a bespoke spray booth that is perfect for your business’s requirements. You wouldn’t want to have anyone else on the job, except for us. Get in touch with DRYSYS today, for any questions about our bespoke spray booths.

 

Originally posted 2021-07-08 19:10:45.